Governor Peter Obi and
three former governors of Anambra State are locked in a battle of wits
over who should take the credit for its new status as an oil producing
state.
President Goodluck
Jonathan on Thursday officially inaugurated the exploitation of crude
oil by the Orient Petroleum Resources Ltd in the state.
The event formally ushered Anambra into the league of oil producing states in the country.
During the event, each
of the three former governors made speeches that were clearly intended
to draw attention to their individual contributions to the oil
exploration project.
One of the former
governors, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju,
told the gathering that he set up the
committee that established Orient Petroleum, appointed its first board
and secured a licence for it to exploit oil in 2002.
While Mbadinuju insisted
that he deserved to be given the credit for conceiving the vision, his
successor, Dr. Chris Ngige, who was at the ceremony, said, “My
administration invited investors from far and wide when we made public
the shares of Orient Petroleum and it was chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku
at Tourist Garden Hotel Awka.
“On that day we made a
draft of N100m and promised to make available substantial amount of
money when all the paper works had been concluded.
“But I must add that the
revenue accruing from oil should be used judiciously and to provide
social security for the people of Anambra State and host communities.
“I call it wonderful. It
is a great day for Anambra State and the beginning of a long journey
towards transformation of our state. Oil can be a blessing and can also
be a curse. But let it be only blessing to our dear state.
“Anambra should utilise
such a great achievement effectively, such that in the next six to eight
years it will not need a kobo to run the recurrent expenditure of the
state.”
Another former governor
of the state, Mrs. Virgy Etiaba, thanked God for the realisation of the
project and said she did not relent in her efforts to sustain it during
her three-month tenure.
In his speech, a former
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, said
Orient Petroleum would jump start aggressive and strategic
socio-economic development of the state.
“I pray that the
production of oil would also create a friendly environment in our state
and I urge those involved in this to see it as a challenge in liberating
the economic status of the state from what it is now to higher level.
That is why I say it is wonderful,” he said.
PUNCH
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